North Korea's test-firing this
past Monday of a medium-range missile, part of which flew over
the
Japanese island of Honshu before plunging into the Pacific Ocean,
evoked swift condemnation from
media outlets in the region and beyond. The missile test,
following just weeks after reports that North
Korea had resumed construction of an underground facility near
the Yongbyon nuclear plant and one of
its submarines had infiltrated South Korean waters, prompted
editorialists to agree with Seoul's pro-business Joong
Ang-Ilbo's assessment that "rapprochement is not likely to
come easily on the [Korean]
peninsula.... The North seems much more interested in an
offensive diplomacy than in enhancing peace
and coexistence with the South by way of a dialogue." A release
by North Korea's official KCNA news
agency, while not directly acknowledging the missile launch,
lashed out at Japan for "making a fuss" over
the episode. "Japan's behavior is ridiculous," KCNA charged,
adding: "Japan must necessarily pay for
the 40-odd years of its occupation of Korea and murder of Koreans
and plunder.... We warn Japan
to...act with discretion and renounce its anachronistic hostile
policy toward [North Korea] at once."
Following are major themes in the commentary:

WHAT IS PYONGYANG UP TO?--Many analysts speculated on
Pyongyang's possible motives for
conducting its "provocative" launch at this juncture. Some held
that North Korea was intent on
demonstrating a "show of force" in advance of the 50th
anniversary of its founding on September 9 and
the expected installation of Kim Jong-Il as "paramount leader" of
the secretive Stalinist state. Others
maintained that the launch had a dual purpose: to serve as a
"giant advertisement" for the country's
missile technology--which one writer called North Korea's primary
"export commodity" to Third World
countries--and to serve as a bargaining chip to win concessions
from the U.S. Rome's left-leaning,
influential La Repubblica, for example, stressed: "The
North Korean government has stated very clearly
that it will continue to produce and sell missiles up until the
time the U.S. lifts its economic sanctions....
Therefore, arms production...has become (North Korea's) most
important diplomatic...tool to try and
obtain concessions from the U.S. and the other Asian countries
without making any significant
concessions" of its own.

HOW SHOULD U.S., JAPAN, SOUTH KOREA RESPOND?--Opinion on how
the U.S. should respond
to the missile test was mixed. London's conservative
Times criticized what it perceived as Washington's
policy of "humoring" North Korea, saying that "the harder
Pyongyang probes the Clinton administration,
the softer it finds it." Others found common cause with
Toronto's leading Globe and Mail, which
concluded: "Barring invasion, the [only] option, unappealing as
it sounds, is to give North Korea oil,
food aid and peaceful reactors, tied to tough conditions:
inspections to ensure missiles are not being
exported and atomic bombs are not being developed." This
strategy, the paper opined, would "buy time"
for the U.S. until the North Korean regime goes "the way of East
Germany." Editors in South Korea and
Japan held that their countries' own defense systems must be
improved to cope with North Korea's "grave
threat to the peace and stability of neighboring countries
and...the world."

This survey is based on 29 reports from 13 countries, August
19 - September 3.

North Korea's official KCNA carried this (9/2): "The
spokesman for the Korean Asia-Pacific Peace
Committee issued a statement today accusing Japan of making a
fuss these days about a long-distance
missile launching test that Japan says was carried out by [North
Korea.] The spokesman says: High-ranking officials and other
politicians of Japan are making provocative remarks against
[North Korea]
over a missile launching test that they say was carried out by
[North Korea]. They describe the test as
something 'regrettable' and 'dangerous,' and claim that the test
made it difficult to improve relations with
[North Korea].... Japan's behavior is ridiculous indeed, in view
of the fact that Japan is zealously
developing long-distance vehicles and other up-to-date weapons
and paving the way for overseas
aggression, having worked out 'Guidelines for Japan-U.S. Defense
Cooperation.' Many countries around
Japan possess or have deployed missiles. Japanese politicians,
however, hurl mud only at [North
Korea].... Japan must necessarily pay for the 40-odd years of
its occupation of Korea and murder of
Koreans and plunder. We bitterly denounce Japan for making a
fuss over a matter that belongs to our
sovereignty while being unaware of its background. We warn Japan
to face up to reality, act with
discretion and renounce its anachronistic hostile policy toward
[North Korea] at once."

SOUTH KOREA: "North Korea's New Challenge"

Yonsei University Professor Lee Chong-min wrote in an op-ed
article in the pro-business Joong-Ang
Ilbo (9/3): "Obviously, the (missile) test...has the
potential to fundamentally modify whatever power
balance there is currently on the Korean Peninsula.... The
success of the test now dictates that the North
is in full possession of the capability to reach beyond the
peninsula. Secondly, the test--having been
carried out just as the era of Kim Jong Il's new leadership is
about to commence--fully proves that the
military is at the helm of the Northern regime in conducting its
national strategy.... The episode also
tells us that it is not going to be easy to change the regime by
way of economic reforms.... Finally, a
rapprochement is not likely to come easily on this peninsula, as
the North seems much more interested in
an offensive diplomacy than in enhancing peace and co-existence
with the South by way of a dialogue."

"Taepo Dong I Is Not Someone Else's Issue"

Conservative, top-circulation Chosun Ilbo asserted
(9/3): "We see that the Korean government is
maintaining a cautious posture regarding this incident, claiming
the validity of the 'sunshine policy.' For
our part, the Taepo Dong missile test carries a far more grave
implication.... A realistic reconsideration
of our policy and diplomatic skills to build effective
cooperation among our allies are what we need
most."

"North Korean Missile Misses The Target"

Prominent writer KimYoung-hee
said in an op-ed piece in pro-business Joong-Ang (9/2):
"The thing we
had been worrying about finally took place. Almost out of the
blue, North Korea test-fired its Taepo
Dong I, shocking Japan to the point of terror and making the
world nervous.... With the up-coming
inauguration of its leader, Kim Jong Il, North Korea feels that
it has to show its people and the outside
world that its leadership is on solid footing. Mostly, it wants
to accumulate the greatest possible
compromises from its negotiations with the United States. In
addition, the test was a wonderful
promotion for its missile customers in the Middle East.... Did,
then, the North only gain through this
missile test, and lose nothing at all? More than anything else,
the North's missile threat will dramatically
solidify security cooperation between the United States and
Japan.

"The launch of the Taepo Dong I will serve as a big whip on a
hesitant Japan which has been delaying
action on the U.S.-Japan Defense Cooperation Treaty signed in
1997."

"Danger And Arrogance Of Taepo Dong I"

Top-circulation, conservative Chosun Ilbo held (9/2),
"The North has committed an act of danger and
arrogance, entirely ignoring international order and security....
Japan is already responding, refusing to
sign an agreement to pay for the construction of the North Korean
light water reactors. We, too, should
do something similar, linking that construction to the North's
missile program. The 180-km restriction
which limits the development our own missiles should be lifted
immediately, and the Korean government
should work with the United States to come up with more counter
measures. If we don't do anything this
time, it will only further spoil the North. We are getting tired
of the Korean government and its
'sunshine policy.' Strong measures against North Korea are fully
warranted."

"Show-Off Just Before Kim Jong-Il Takes
Office"

Reporter Kang Yong-soo of conservative Chosun Ilbo
(9/1) commented: "What was the North's
intention? Some speculate the test was intended to show off to
the world that North Korean leader Kim
Jong-Il's political standing is solid at home just before he
takes office as president, and also as the 50th
anniversary of the North's regime approaches. Others speculate
that the North had in mind elevating its
negotiating position at the ongoing high-level U.S.-North Korean
talks. In other words, the North now
wants to take advantage of a 'missile card' as it did a 'nuclear
card' a few years ago."

"Japan Ready To Make
Test An International Issue"

Tokyo correspondent Oh Young-hwan commented in pro-business
Joong-Ang Ilbo (9/1): "The fact that a
North Korean missile flew over its roof shocked Japan most....
As Japan finds itself within the full range
of North Korean missiles, it may turn hard-line toward
Pyongyang. This could create undue conflict with
South Korea which is advocating a more moderate 'sunshine policy'
toward the North."

"Signal Of North Korean Missile Diplomacy?"

Reporter Chung Jin-suk pointed out in moderate Hankook
Ilbo (9/1): "While North Korea's latest missile
test may simply be an issue of its internal political and
military conflict, its ripple effect won't be trivial,
given all the effort the international community has put into
holding the North's missile program in
check.... The fact remains...that the incident is already having
an effect on the Korean Peninsula, with
Japan refusing to sign an agreement to pay for the North Korean
light water reactor project."

"Cautious Reaction To
North's Underground Facilities"

Conservative Chosun Ilbo told its readers (8/26): "The
Korean government is dealing with the issue (of
North Korea's reported construction of underground nuclear
facilities) with extra caution, as it does not
wish to create additional problems, especially when there is no
hard evidence that those facilities are
really nuclear-related. Another reason for it to be cautious
this time is that the government does not want
to ruin whatever is currently going on between the two Koreas
(for better relations). It is being careful
because it does not wish to be forced to provide greater
financial assistance to North Korea."

"Purpose Behind North Korean Reactor Project"

Pro-business Joong-Ang Ilbo's editorial held (8/20):
"It has been a year since construction of the North
Korean light water reactors began. While the project's
paramount purpose is to prevent the country from
developing nuclear weapons, we also had hoped that the project
would help develop a sense of unity and
cooperation between the two Koreas. One year later, the
intra-Korean relationship has not changed
much. Though we know we shouldn't be terribly discouraged by
this, our intentions, hopes and money
will have been for naught if the North goes against our
expectations. Another reason we cannot
celebrate the first anniversary of the project is because of the
rumors that the North is constructing huge
underground facilities, which will likely be used for nuclear
programs. This allegation is already
threatening the whole objective of the 1994 Geneva Agreement....
We should continue to financially
support the North Korean reactor project only if doubts about
these underground facilities are cleared.
The United States, which led the nuclear negotiations with North
Korea, should take the lead in clearing
those doubts."

"North Korean Nuclear Issue And U.S.-ROK
Cooperation"

In the editorial view of conservative Segye Ilbo
(8/20): "The North Korean nuclear issue has been
brought up again, reminding us that the issue was never fully
resolved. To make the situation worse, we
hear news that the North is developing inter-continental
ballistic missiles. The intra-Korean relationship
has also been aggravated by the recent submarine infiltrations.
While the South Korean government
does not seem eager to press the North for an apology over the
infiltration attempts, the North continues
its acts of provocation.... Whenever something like this issue
comes up, the Korean government turns to
U.S.-South Korean solidarity to find a solution. That solidarity
indeed is the only alternative we have, as
our own nuclear development programs are completely halted by the
United States."

"North Korea's Nuclear Activity
Worrisome"

An editorial in moderate Kookmin Ilbo pointed out
(8/19): "North Korea was caught twice already this
year trying to infiltrate the South by way of armed submarines,
sending a message to the world that the
North still aims to destroy stability on the Korean Peninsula.
Now, news sources say, the North may be
reviving its nuclear programs, preparing underground facilities
in Yongbyon. If that is true, the act will
be considered a head-on challenge to the international
community's efforts for non-proliferation of
nuclear weapons. The North should be paying attention to food
and to the economy. North Korea should
show its courage to the world by first stopping armed
provocations and then tackling those real issues."

JAPAN: "Japan Must Deal Firmly With North Korea's
Reckless Launch"

Top-circulation, moderate Yomiuri's editorial stressed
(9/3): "Japan remains in utter shock following
North Korea's test-firing of a ballistic missile into the Pacific
Ocean on Monday. The government had
reportedly received information that the North's missile launch
would be imminent. However, North
Korea fired the missile in total defiance of the Japanese
request, made through diplomatic channels, that
it not conduct such a test. The North Korean act was extremely
reckless and outrageous. We demand an
explanation and an apology from the North....

"North Korea's suspected nuclear weapons program poses a grave
threat to the peace and stability of its
neighboring countries and the rest of the world. Japan and
other members of the international
community must react firmly to such a threat.... Japan must
prevent this 'rogue' nation from taking more
extreme action. Neighboring countries must convince the North
of its folly and encourage it to become a
responsible member of the international community.

"In this respect, cooperation with the United States, South
Korea and other nations is vital in dealing with
Pyongyang. There is a need to expedite research on the Theater
Missile Defense (TMD) system
proposed by the United States.... The U.S.-Japan security
arrangement is, indeed, an irreplaceable 'safety
mechanism' for the Asia-Pacific region. To make the alliance
more effective, the Diet cannot waste time
in passing bills related to the revision of the bilateral
defense cooperation guidelines."

"Effective Measures Must Be Taken"

Conservative Sankei's editorial held (9/2): "North
Korea's test-firing of a ballistic missile into the Pacific
Ocean on Monday posed a new threat to the security of Japan....
Measures must be considered and taken
in order to check the missile threat from the North. It is a
fact that North Korea is developing missiles to
build up its military strength and export them to third
countries in order to secure foreign currency. First
of all, diplomatic measures must be taken to strengthen the
Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR)
and ask Middle East nations not to purchase missiles or missile
technology from North Korea. Efforts
should also be made to prevent the North from going nuclear.
Second, Japan must strengthen its
deterrent force.... Thirdly, Japan should start research on the
Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) system....
It is a little too hasty to link the latest North Korean missile
launch to the future deployment of a BMD
system in Japan. But Japan's launching of joint research with
the United States on this system will
become an immediate and powerful deterrent force."

"Japan Must Speed Up Theater Missile Defense
Research"

Top-circulation, moderate Yomiuri's editorial stressed
(9/1): "North Korea's launch of a two-stage
ballistic missile...into the Pacific Ocean on Monday posed a
grave threat to the security of neighboring
countries...(and) added new tension to the international
community. Pyongyang's 'missile adventure' was
extremely regrettable. North Korea's development of ballistic
missiles, including Rodong 1 missiles, is a
direct affront to ongoing international efforts to secure peace
and security in the region.... What Japan
must do, first of all, is to cooperate--as positively as
possible--with the international community in
advancing efforts to curtail the number of weapons of mass
destruction and prevent their proliferation.
It is also crucial that Japan, a nation with the concept of an
exclusively defense-oriented security
posture, has in place an 'airtight' defense system in order to
cope effectively with potential attacks or
threats from the outside."

"We Strongly Protest North Korea's
Test-Firing"

An editorial in business-oriented Nihon Keizai insisted
(9/1): "It is...difficult to pinpoint what was the
true motive or purpose of North Korea's test-firing of a missile
into the Pacific Ocean on Monday. The
North is making arrangements for Kim Jong-Il's installation as
paramount leader. In addition, the
Stalinist state will mark the 50th anniversary of its founding on
September 9. Whatever the reason, we
cannot but call the North Korean motive extremely regrettable, if
Pyongyang launched the missile in
order to 'raise its national prestige' before the observance of
these 'memorable' events.... The North must
stop the worldwide proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
Greater efforts must be made to start
four-way talks among North and South Korea, the United States and
China...to discuss peace on the
Korean peninsula."

"North Korea's Test-Firing Protested"

Liberal Asahi suggested (9/1): "One analysis surmises
that the North Koreans launched the missile to
'influence' the just-resumed senior-level U.S.-North Korea talks
in New York. There is also speculation
that the North tried to secure a further compromise from the
United States at a time when American oil
shipments to Pyongyang have been suspended, and KEDO has also
placed its project of building light-water reactors for Pyongyang
on hold.

"Whatever the reason, we cannot condone the latest North
Korean missile launch that has raised tension
in Northeast Asia."

HONG KONG: "Isolated Danger"

According to the independent, English-language South China
Morning Post (9/1): "The North Korean
government announced plans to continue the development of such
missiles back in June, claiming it was
forced into the move because of U.S. sanctions. Not only is the
missile test a diplomatic ploy to pressure
Washington over the lifting of these sanctions, it is also a
giant advertisement for the country's missile
technology.... Backing such a dangerous and unpredictable
country into a corner through crippling
sanctions is to court danger on a potentially catastrophic scale.
However unpalatable it may be to run the
risk of appearing to grant concessions to such a regime, it is
necessary for some hard bargaining to be
done in earnest.... (By) the lifting of oil sanctions...the
United States would undermine any excuse--however spurious--North
Korea has to expand its missile development program."

INDONESIA: "North Korean Missile Test
Shocking"

Independent afternoon daily Suara Pembaruan opined
(9/1): "If [KEDO-related] impediments are not
resolved, North Korea will be frustrated. To compensate,
Pyongyang will increase development of its
nuclear capabilities. We also believe North Korea (in financial
difficulties due to its deteriorating
economy) would likely treat its modern weaponry--especially
missiles--as export commodities. Missiles
and nuclear weapons mean more money. With respect to arms sales,
we believe there is some truth to
reports that North Korean missiles have been sold to Third World
countries.... It has been reported that
North Korean missiles and military technology have been sold to
Syria and Libya. Whatever the motive,
North Korea's missile test signaled that the country can impede
its adversaries'--and particularly South
Korea's--every maneuver and military bluff. No doubt this [goal]
has been achieved at the expense of all
or part of the effort to overcome the famine which currently
affects the populace."

THAILAND: "North Korea Playing A Dangerous
Game"

The lead editorial of the top-circulation, moderately
conservative Bangkok Post commented (8/21): "The
new construction at the former nuclear research center at
Yongbyon is extremely troubling. The United
States, as the lead nation in contact with Pyongyang, must demand
that work in the mountains outside
Yongbyon stop. North Korea's neighbors must insist as well.
North Korea's pledge in 1994 was clear to
all of us. Pyongyang undertook to stop its nuclear program
entirely, apart from the specifically agreed
upon project to install nuclear power reactors. Asia has only
recently gained two more nuclear powers,
and we are neither proud of that, nor more secure. We simply do
not want North Korea to have nuclear
weapons nor to waste its extremely precious resources to try to
develop them.... [Kim Jong-Il] should
throw more effort into the fight against hunger in his
pathetically underfed country. Of course, the
United States must take the diplomatic lead, and the sooner it
does so, the better. But it must stay in very
close contact with South Korea, whose new president, Kim
Dae-Jung, is committed to better relations
with Pyongyang. Japan has special interest in keeping terrible
weapons out of North Korean hands. But
then, so do we all wish to keep weapons of mass destruction away
from Pyongyang."

EUROPE

BRITAIN: "Deadly Power Play"

According to an editorial in the conservative Times
(9/2): "(North Korea's missile launch) is a
profoundly destabilizing development.... Humoring Pyongyang
still seems to be American policy.
Madeleine Albright has merely expressed 'concern.'...

"The harder Pyongyang probes the Clinton administration, the
softer it finds it. The United States should
reflect that every weak response could tempt this belligerent
dictatorship to put American resolve to the
ultimate test, on the territory of South Korea. Containment can
make sense only if it contains."

GERMANY: "Provocation From Pyongyang"

Olaf Jahn judged in right-of-center Die Welt of Berlin
(9/2): "In view of Pyongyang's previous
threatening gestures, we can assume that the country wanted to
send a message to Japan and the United
States: Give us more economic assistance, since, otherwise, we
will build and sell increasingly more and
increasingly new weapons. So far, such activities have been
successful, but the most recent provocation
was too great. Instead of yielding, Japan is blocking all kinds
of assistance to North Korea and is
thinking of building a common anti-missile defense system with
the United States. The result could be
military imbalance in the Far East. And Beijing's protests
against such plans will not be long in
coming.... However, at the same time, this situation also offers
a chance. It again tells Beijing how
dangerous its eastern neighbor can be for its own security.
China's leadership, which has increasingly
turned away from its former ally, is now likely to work more
closely with the United States, Japan, and
South Korea to resolve the Korea conflict and to exert political
pressure on Pyongyang to prompt it to
give up its missile and nuclear programs. This is all the more
important to achieve this goal because
North Korea is the center of a weapons net of unpredictable
outsider states.... (So far,) the reactions from
Japan and the United States indicate hope that the two countries
do not have any illusions (about North
Korea)."

"Missile Test In North Korea"

Roland Heine opined in an editorial in left-of-center
Berliner Zeitung (9/1): "North Korea tested a
missile...(that) could hit Japan and a number of U.S. bases in
the Pacific. If we add reports that
Pyongyang wants to continue the nuclear program it stopped in
1994, we could quickly get the
impression that a new military strategic constellation is about
to develop. But...one missile test hardly
says anything about the capability of a country to use such
missiles militarily.... However, what is
worrisome in this case is not North Korea's alleged military
strength, but its economic weakness. It
harbors the danger of a serious implosion."

"North Korea Bares Its Fangs"

Left-of-center Nuernberger Zeitung had this view (9/1):
"The government in Pyongyang knows that not
too much will happen. It can still remember the threatening
gestures of the West when Pakistan and
India tested nuclear bombs in their unstable region of the world.
Being aware of this, North Korea
presented the world a long-range missile and again proved that it
continues to pose a serious threat."

ITALY: "The Korean Missile"

An editorial in left-leaning, influential La Repubblica
judged (9/1): "It is the very first time that
Communist Korea has confirmed its ability to hit the most
important ally of the United States in Asia
with weapons launched from its territory, while also showing that
it can potentially use its weapons
against Russia, as well as its South Korea cousins.... The North
Korean government has stated very
clearly that it will continue to produce and sell missiles up
until the time the United States lifts its
economic sanctions.... Therefore, arms production remains one of
the main channels of economic
subsistence for the North Korean regime, but above all it has
become its most important diplomatic
political tool to try and obtain concessions from the United
States and the other Asian countries without
making any significant concession in terms of political and
economic reforms."

BELGIUM: "Political Missile"

Foreign affairs writer Francis Van den Berghe remarked in
independent Catholic De Standaard (9/1):
"There is every indication that it was a 'political' missile test
aimed at providing North Korea with
exchange money during the negotiations with the United States,
which are to be resumed in New York
this week.... Pyongyang also wants to make it clear that it is
in a position to cancel its missile business if
the sanctions are lifted and if it receives American concessions
on nuclear technology. For two years,
Washington has tried to make Pyongyang freeze its missile
program. It wants North Korea to join an
international accord against the proliferation of missile
technology. The missile test is probably also
aimed at strengthening strongman Kim Jong-Il's prestige."

CANADA: "North
Korea's Shot Across The Bow"

The leading Globe and Mail maintained (9/2): "The
North Korean missile that flew over Japan on
Monday splashed down somewhere in the Pacific, but it might as
well have crash-landed on the Clinton
administration's Korean policy.... What does North Korea want?
It has virtually no stake in the
international community or international trade; it is an almost
completely isolated country whose only
significant export is weapons.... But it is cunning and
calculating. This missile test is simply another
threat, launched in the midst of U.S.-North Korea talks over
American follow-through on the 1994
agreement.... The U.S. Congress thinks it's time to play
hardball.... Standing up to bullying is a
viscerally satisfying response--particularly since this bully is
barefoot, pint-sized and ragged. But he's
also armed with a well stocked chemistry set and a shotgun. He
can and will build nuclear weapons and
the missiles with which to deliver them, and sell the kit to
others, unless we convince him to do
otherwise. There are only two ways to do that: threats or
enticements. The threats are only viable if we
intend to follow through--and neither Washington nor Seoul plans
to invade and overthrow the
Pyongyang regime. Barring invasion, the remaining option,
unappealing as it sounds, is to give North
Korea oil, food aid and peaceful reactors, tied to tough
conditions: inspections to ensure missiles are not
being exported and atomic bombs are not being developed. It is
a strategy of buying time--because
eventually, the North Korean regime will go the way of East
Germany. Ultimately, that is the only
solution."

MIDDLE EAST

EGYPT: "Comprehensive
Worldwide Disarmament Needed"

Pro-government Al Ahram had this (9/3): "The missile
launched by North Korea raised broad
international reactions. It is an indication of North Korea's
rising capability in missile production and
expanding deterrence ability. But there is exaggeration in the
reactions [to it] because the Far East and
the whole world are full of missiles. This international
situation gives the right to any country to develop
its missiles to protect its security. For these objections to
have credibility, the objecting countries should
declare a binding program to destroy their own missiles under an
international program of
comprehensive disarmament, to be applied on all countries
equally. The world will not accept being
divided into countries that have the right to produce weapons of
mass destruction and threaten the rest,
while other countries denied this right."

SOUTH ASIA

BANGLADESH: "North Korea's Missiles"

Conservative Ittefaq concluded (9/3): "The only way to
resist North Korea is to create an appropriate
defense system for South Korea and Japan and isolate North Korea
diplomatically. North Korea must
realize that building weapons with development money while
keeping people hungry is nothing short of a
crime.

"Not only North Korea, some poor nations including India and
Pakistan are currently engaged in similar
crimes. Appropriate remedial measures are needed for the global
humanity and peace."

"Missiles In The Pacific"

Centrist, Bangla-language Muktakantha observed (9/3):
"Strong reactions have been created in East
Asia, especially in Japan over North Korea's ballistic missile
testing.... East and Southeast Asian nations
including Japan are undergoing an economic recession. A severe
food crisis exists in North Korea. If
these nations now pay attention to spend more on defense, it will
not only bring bad news for their
peoples, but also create a negative impact on the global economy.
Japan's retaliatory missile program
and militarization will only increase tension. If a political
settlement can be reached through negotiations
to cause North Korea to refrain from its missile program, it will
help reduce tension. Such an initiative is
desirable."

LATIN AMERICA
AND CARIBBEAN

CHILE: "North Korean Provocation"

Conservative, influential, newspaper-of-record El
Mercurio remarked (9/3), "Pyongyang's decision to
launch a missile over Japanese territory opens a new and more
dangerous stage in the proliferation of
these weapons. It also shows once again how untrustworthy is
this government, whose representatives
were negotiating with the United States at the time of the
incident. North Korea made no statement and
there is some doubt whether it was an old, already known type of
missile or a newer one.... If in fact it is
an improved system, the North Koreans would have in their hands a
weapon that would make Japan as
well as the U.S. bases in that region vulnerable.... Perhaps it
was a show of force before the official
swearing-in of Kim Jong II as leader of the nation, or an attempt
to pressure Washington in the
negotiations on North Korea's nuclear program.... The United
States should not allow this aggression to
change its demands toward the North Korean government."

"Nuclear Threat"

Conservative, influential newspaper-of-record El
Mercurio emphasized (8/22): "For the second time in
five years, North Korea seems committed to developing nuclear
arms. That's what U.S. intelligence
agencies have determined, after having analyzed satellite photos
that show a massive concrete
construction near the Yongbyon nuclear plant. Pyongyang's
foreign policy has been quite erratic. By the
end of last year it started peace talks with South Korea, China
and the United States. But it also landed
spies from a submarine and is building nuclear facilities. The
question one may ask is whether North
Korea is searching for new dividends from the West or whether it
harbors evil intentions toward Seoul."